Presence indicator signal

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment a method for providing presence information in a smart environment is implemented on a personal computing device associated with a user and includes; broadcasting a presence indicator signal in the smart environment, where the presence indicator signal indicates presence of the user in the smart environment, and the personal computing device is not provided by an operator of the smart environment.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to the broadcast of presenceindicator signals to track human presence in a smart environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Smart environments are designed to leverage pervasive computing and theavailability of inexpensive computing power to provide optimizedfacility services (e.g. illumination, thermal comfort, air quality,physical security, sanitation, etc.) while minimizing resource usage andenvironmental impact. A variety of systems and methods for employingwireless technologies such as, for example, RFID, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.,can be leveraged to monitor human movement and/or presence in smartenvironments in order to more optimally provide such services.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully fromthe following detailed description, taken in conjunction with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a presence-aware smartenvironment, constructed and operative in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein;

FIG. 2 is a simplified pictorial illustration of an occupant of thesmart environment of FIG. 1 wearing and/or holding smart devices to beemployed in the smart environment as monitoring devices;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device, constructedand operative in accordance with embodiments described herein totransmit a presence indicator signal as described with respect to FIGS.1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustration of an exemplary presence indicatorsignal transmission process, constructed and operative in accordancewith embodiments described herein.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS Overview

A method for providing presence information in a smart environment isimplemented on a personal computing device associated with a user andincludes: broadcasting a presence indicator signal in the smartenvironment, where the presence indicator signal indicates presence ofthe user in the smart environment, and the personal computing device isnot provided by an operator of the smart environment.

A method for providing presence information in a smart environment, isimplemented on a first computing device associated with a user andincludes: detecting at least a second computing device associated withthe user, exchanging information regarding at least broadcastcapabilities and human presence detection capabilities with the secondcomputing device, and based on the exchanged information, electing aprimary device to broadcast a presence indicator signal, the primarydevice elected from among the first and at least second devices.

Detailed Description of Example Embodiments

A common objective of smart environment management systems is tocustomize the environment in response to the presence and or movementsof the environment's occupants (both human and machine). Efficientoperation of a smart environment is therefore typically predicated atleast in part on an awareness of its occupants; e.g., where they are,where they are going, and how many are in a given area.

Current occupancy detection systems typically rely on thermal or opticaldetection of movement as a method for identifying the presence of aperson. However, common obstructions, such as bookcases and otherfurniture, may prevent such systems from functioning properly. Suchsystems may also be prone to false positives caused by, for example,moving shadows cast from sunlight outside, thermal changes in the roomdue to changes in HVAC/thermal hot spots, animal movements, rotatingfans, or motion prompted by air movement, e.g., paper floating on aircurrents from an open window, a fan, or an HVAC unit.

For example: smart environment management systems often use occupancydetection systems based on motion detection sensors to determine whetheror not to turn off office lighting in order to conserve electricity. Ifno motion is detected for a given period (e.g., fifteen minutes), theoccupancy detection system may indicate that an office is empty (i.e.,there are no people in the office) and the smart environment managementsystem may turn of the lights. However, if a person is relatively stillwhile leading or working on a computer, the motion sensors may notadequately detect him/her. In some situations this may lead to arecurring irritant to the person who may be forced with the choice ofeither sitting in the dark, getting up to turn on the lights everyfifteen minutes, or to constantly make waving motions in order toprevent the smart environment management system from turning off thelights. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that many fluorescent lightshave a ramp up period before they achieve maximum efficiency. Therefore,turning them off and on many times a day may actually be more costlythan leaving them running continuously throughout the day.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1, is a simplified pictorial illustrationof an exemplary presence-aware smart environment 10, constructed andoperative in accordance with embodiments described herein. As depictedin FIG. 1, environment 10 may represent a typical office set up toaccommodate users 100A and 100B. Environment 10 comprises airconditioner 20, window 30, bookcase 40, fish tank 50, fan 60, laptopcomputers 70A and 70B, and Bluetooth receiver 90.

It will be appreciated that common office artifacts such as airconditioner 20, window 30, bookcase 40, and fish tank 50 may impede theproper operation of conventional occupancy detection systems. Systemsemploying heat detection to isolate human profiles may be affected byair conditioner 20 or sunlight from window 30. Systems employing motionsensors may be affected by shadows from objects moving outside of window30, the movements of fish in fish tank 50. rotating motions by fan 60,and/or paper blown in the air by either fan 60 or air conditioner 20.Bookcase 40 may block reception for typical sensors as well.

It will be appreciated that most people carry or wear at least oneBluetooth low energy (LE) capable device. Typical examples of suchdevices include smartphones, computer tablets/laptops, and wearabledevices such as smartwatches, fitness trackers, and Bluetooth headsets.These devices may be configured to periodically broadcast a presenceindicator signal via Bluetooth LE. In accordance with some embodiments,the presence indicator signal may be a personal ID broadcastspecifically associated with an individual user, typically the owner ofthe device. Accordingly, the personal ID Beacon may provide one or moreidentifying details associated with the individual user, such as, forexample, the user's name, nickname, email address, phone number, etc. Insome cases the identifying details may not be specific to an individualuser. For example the identifying details may be associated with a groupof users or users characterized by common user preferences and/orattributes. Alternatively, or in addition, the presence indicator signalmay be “generic”, such that it may signify the presence of a personwithout providing an indication of the user's identity.

In accordance with embodiments described herein, a smart environmentsystem may use presence information provided by Bluetooth LE devices toadjust/maintain the smart environment. For example, while in use byusers 100A and 100B, laptops 70A and 70B may be configured toperiodically broadcast a presence indicator signal that may be receivedby Bluetooth receiver 90. The smart environment management system maythen turn on/off lights and/or adjust temperature settings inenvironment 10 in accordance with the detection (or non-detection) ofusers 100A and 100B in the affected area. The smart environmentmanagement system may also employ Internet of Things (IoT) devicesand/or robots to adjust the smart environment.

The smart environment management system may employ the presenceindicator signals as proxies for the humans associated with the devicetransmitting the signals. In such manner, the smart environmentmanagement system may count the number of humans in a location orvicinity. Similarly, the transmissions of the presence indicator signalsmay be tracked/plotted to detect the movement (or lack of, thereof) ofthe associated humans. This information may then be used by the smartenvironment management system to instruct building facilities, robots,etc. to act to modify the environment in accordance with the presence(or non-presence) of the associated humans. For example, the smartenvironment management system may be configured to turn on/off lighting,turn on/off air conditioning, adjust thermostat settings, permit/denyphysical access, and/or prioritize safety and rescue measures duringemergencies based on the presence of humans in specific areas of thesmart environment.

Additionally, the robots, e.g., drones or Internet of Things (IoT)devices, may similarly be equipped with Bluetooth LE functionality. Asdescribed with respect to the IDs associated with humans, each robot maybe assigned either a personal or generic ID (i.e. genetically signifyingthat it is associated with a robot, or type of robot, as opposed to ahuman), depending on a desired level of granularity. This may beleveraged, for example, in emergency situations to provide informationto rescue personnel regarding the number of human occupants in abuilding during evacuation situations, and to differentiate betweenhumans and robots from among moving objects in the building.

Reference is now made to FIG. 2 which is a simplified pictorialillustration of one of the users 100 from the embodiment of FIG. 1. Itwill be appreciated that a person, e.g., user 100, may have multipleBluetooth LE capable devices on, of near, his/her person at a giventime. For example, user 100 may carry smartphone 110 in a pocket, wearBluetooth headset 120, hold computer tablet 130 in a hand, have laptop140 in a computer bag, and wear smartwatch or fitness tracker 150 on awrist.

In accordance with embodiments described herein, if user 100 hasmultiple Bluetooth LE enabled devices, one of the devices may bedesignated as a “primary device” and configured to transmit a presenceindicator signal to be associated with user 100. It will be appreciatedthat the other, non-primary, devices may be configured to prevent themfrom transmitting presence indicator signals, which would otherwisemisrepresent the actual number of humans being tracked by the smartenvironment management or cause unnecessary resource (battery)consumption on those non-primary devices.

In accordance with embodiments described herein, the devices (e.g.,smartphones, smart watches, etc.) may be configured to intelligentlyprovide a single presence indicator signal. Specifically, if user 100has more than one device in close vicinity, they may communicate witheach other to determine which device should transmit the presenceindicator signal. Furthermore, the devices are configured to onlytransmit the presence indicator signal if it is reasonably determinedthat they are in close proximity to user 100. Therefore if user 100leaves the vicinity of the device(s), the transmitting device isconfigured to stop transmitting the presence indicator signal; afterall, it would be counter-productive to notify a smart environmentmanagement system of a person's presence if that person had actuallyleft without taking the device(s) with him/her.

Similarly, the type of presence indicator signal may be configurablebased on the current environment. For example, when user 100 is at homeor at work, the presence indicator signal may represent a personal IDbeacon that is specifically associated with that particular user 100.When in other environments, the presence indicator signal may default toa generic setting. For example, when in a shopping mall, the presenceindictor signal may represent a generic human with no personallyidentifying details.

In accordance with embodiments described herein, the current environmentmay be identified by the participating device according to geographicalor location based services, such as, for example, global positioningsatellite (GPS) systems or cell tower associations. User 100 mayconfigure the smart device (e.g. smartphone 110 computer tablet 130,etc.) to broadcast the personal ID beacon when located in certainspecific locations, for example, when, per the geographical/locationbased services the smart device is at home or work. A default settingmay also be set for other locations; for example, to broadcast a genericbeacon when not located at the certain specific locations. Accordingly,user 100 does not have to proactively select the type of beacon tobroadcast whenever entering a new smart environment.

Alternatively, or in addition, the current environment may be determinedat least in part based on data exchanged during a Bluetooth pairingprocess prior to transmitting the presence indicator signal. Forexample, a smart environment such as a workplace or courthouse may haveinstalled Bluetooth transceivers that identify themselves and requestthat user 100 transmit their personal ID beacon, for safety reasons.Depending on the configuration of the smart device, the personal IDbeacon for user 100 may be transmitted in response to the request.

Each of the personal devices associated with user 100 may participate inan “election” process in order to determine which device is to bedesignated as the primary device that transmits a presence indicator toBluetooth access point 90 based on information provided by the group ofdevices. The information provided by the group of devices is leveragedto provide a higher degree of confidence that the devices are indeed inthe presence of user 100 (i.e., to avoid a situation where a devicebroadcasts a presence indicator signal even though associated user 100is not actually in the vicinity), and that the most appropriate deviceis selected for transmitting the information.

It will be appreciated that each of the personal devices depicted inFIG. 2 has different characteristics and capabilities that impacts itsappropriateness for the task of transmitting a presence indicator signaland/or verification of actual presence of user 100 in the vicinity. Forexample, laptop computer 140 may typically have a stronger battery andsuperior broadcasting capability when compared with smartwatch 150.However, computer laptop 140 may often be turned off as user 100 movesthrough a smart environment. In contrast, smartwatch 150 may morereasonably be assumed to be n continuous operation, and may also beconfigured to directly track heart rate blood pressure, activity, etc.,thereby providing a higher degree of certainty that it is, in fact,actually in proximity to, or being worn by a person such as user 100.

Similarly, when in operation, Bluetooth headset 120 may also provide areasonably reliable indication of the presence of user 100. However,it's not unusual for a user to turn off a headset when not in actualuse; thereby impacting on the reliability of headset 120 as acontinuously available primary device. Smartphone 110 and computertablet 130 may also have advantages in terms of battery strength andbroadcasting power, but are more likely to be lost, misplaced, orpurposely left behind by user 100 when moving through a smartenvironment.

Accordingly, the election process, may take into account a “beaconprofile” for each device, i.e., the device characteristics thatcollectively indicate the suitability of the device to either broadcastthe presence indicator signal, and/or to verify the actual presence ofuser 100 in the vicinity. Each characteristic may be scored, forexample, from zero to one hundred, to derive a composite score for adevice which may then be used to differentiate between the capabilitiesof the different devices. It will be appreciated that other scoringranges, e.g., one to ten, may be used in a similar manner.

For example, the device's ability to broadcast based on battery power,antenna characteristics, etc., may be determined. Accordingly, computerlaptop 140 may be accorded a score of ninety, based on battery life andantenna range. However, if computer laptop 140 is plugged in to a powersource, it may receive a score of one hundred. Alternatively, if thebattery is almost depleted, computer laptop 140 may receive a scoreoften. Smartwatch 150, with limited battery storage and reduced antennarange may also receive a score often. Broadcast output power (expressedin mW) may also be used as a proxy for antenna range.

The estimated duration of broadcast, i.e., an estimate of how long thedevice may continue broadcasting the presence indicator signal beforefully depleting the battery, may also be calculated and scored.

A presence confidence score may be calculated to reflect the likelihoodthat the device accurately represents a human's current presence. Forexample, computer laptop 140 may receive a score of zero if it is not incurrent use or the lid is closed. However, if laptop computer 140detects ongoing key presses/mouse movement the presence confidence scoremight be increased to 100. Smartwatch 150 may be configured withbiometric sensors such as a pulse monitor or step counter functionality.If smartwatch 150 detects a pulse or movements indicative of walking,the confidence may be scored is one hundred. However, if no pulse oreven slight movement is detected (which may indicate that it is notbeing worn and sitting idle), the confidence may zero. In a furtherexample, the presence confidence score for smartphone 110 may be afunction of in use status, location based services, and/or motiondetection.

The type of information provided by the device may also be scored. Forexample, smartwatch 150 might be best configured to detect heart rate,while smartphone 110 might be best configured to transmit historicalinformation about location; even though both devices may have theability to transmit generally the same type of data, one device willhave a comparative advantage to transmit more information.

Accordingly, it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the artthat in order to be efficient and effective, the election process willbe configured to take into account several variables. It will further beappreciated that the election process may be leveraged to fine tune thedetection of the presence of user 100, and/or when users leaves thevicinity of one, some, or all of the devices with which it isassociated.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3 which is a block diagram of an exemplarycomputing device 200, constructed and operative in accordance withembodiments described herein to broadcast a presence indicator signal asdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2.

As depicted in FIG. 2, computing device 200 may be implemented on avariety of Bluetooth LE enabled devices, for example, but not limitedto, smartphone 110. Bluetooth headset 120, computer tablet 130, laptop140, smartwatch 150, etc. As such, it will be appreciated that computingdevice 200 may be under the administrative and physical control of user100, as opposed to the operator of the smart environment. Computingdevice 200 may also represent a robot or IoT device. It will beappreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that computing device200 comprises hardware and software components that provide at least thefunctionality of the embodiments described herein. For example,computing device 200 may comprise at least processor 210, input/output(I/O) module 220, and signaling application 250. It will also beappreciated that computing device 200 comprises other components andfunctionalities that have not been presented herein in the interests ofclarity of presentation of the embodiments described herein.

It will be appreciated that computing device 200 may comprise more thanone processor 210. For example, one such processor 210 may be a specialpurpose processor operative to execute signaling application 250.Signaling application 250 may be any suitable application implemented insoftware and or hardware that is operative to provide presence indicatorsignals as per the embodiments described herein. Signaling application250 comprises election module 255. Election module 255 may beimplemented in software and/or hardware and may be employed as necessaryby signaling application 250 to “elect” a primary device from amongmultiple computing devices 200. It will be appreciated by one ofordinary skill in the art that some or all of the functionality ofelection module 255 may be implemented on a smart environment server(not shown) that may be configured to facilitate the operation ofenterprise application 250. For example, the enterprise server may beconfigured to arbitrate “disputes” between two devices 200 that forwhatever reason have transmitted the same personal ID beacon as apresence indicator signal.

I/O module 220 may be implemented as a Bluetooth LE transceiver orsimilar means suitable for transmitting and receiving data betweenmultiple computing devices 200 and/or Bluetooth access point 90 (FIG.1). Such data may comprise Bluetooth pairing signals, presence indicatorsignals, and/or data used by devices 200 to determine a primary device.It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that otherwireless technologies may be used instead of, or in addition to,Bluetooth to provide the functionality of I/O module. For example, I/Omodule 220 may also be implemented using WiFi.

Reference is now made also to FIG. 4 which is a flowchart illustrationof an exemplary presence indicator signal transmission process 300 to beperformed by signaling application 250 (FIG. 3), constructed andoperative in accordance with embodiments described herein. Signalingapplication 250 may employ I/O module 220 to detect (step 310) aBluetooth receiver (e.g. Bluetooth receiver 90 from FIG. 1) associatedwith a smart environment management system. Alternatively, signalingapplication 250 may be configured to broadcast a presence indicatorsignal without first checking for the existence of a Bluetooth receiver(or any other type of receiver, depending on the technology used toimplement I/O module 220 of FIG. 3). If computing device 200 is notassociated with a personal mesh (step 320), i.e., multiple devices 200configured to work in concert to provide presence indicator signals,signaling application 250 may employ I/O module 220 to broadcast (step325) an appropriate presence indicator signal. It will be appreciatedthat if computing device 200 is a robot or IoT device, step 320 willreturn an answer of “No” and process control will flow to step 325.

If no other computing devices are detected (step 330), i.e., I/O module220 cannot detect other computing devices 200 associated with thepersonal mesh, process control will flow to step 325. Otherwise,signaling application 250 will employ I/O module 220 to exchange (step340) beacon profiles with the other computing devices 200 in thepersonal mesh. It will be appreciated that since by definition the othercomputing devices 200 are in close vicinity, i.e., close enough tocommunicate with each other via short-range communication technologiessuch as Bluetooth or WiFi, this exchange may performed using a lowpower, small radius broadcast.

Signaling application 250 may employ election module 255 to determine(step 350) the primary device for the purposes of transmitting thepresence indicator signal. It will be appreciated that each computingdevice 200 in the personal mesh may be configured to run the sameelection process to determine the primary device. However, in accordancewith embodiments described herein, low powered, or constrained computingdevice 200 may delay executing step 350 tor a configurable period oftime (e.g., five or ten seconds) in order to conserve energy, with theassumption that a more powerful computing device 200 is likelyassociated with the personal mesh and will determine (based on theelection process) that it will be the primary device. If a lowpowered-constrained computing device 200 detects another computingdevice 200 assume the role as primary device, it will skip step 250.

If computing device 200 is net the primary device (step 360), signalingapplication may provide (step 365) updates to the primary device. Forexample, if the non-primary device is smartwatch 150 it may providehuman presence indications to the primary device which then broadcaststhe presence indicator signal based on the human presence indications.It will be appreciated that the primary device may be configured torequest specific information for updates based on the previouslyprovided beacon profiles. This information may be requested periodically(e.g., every thirty or sixty seconds).

If computing device 200 is the primary device (step 360), it mayperiodically broadcast (step 370) the presence indicator signal. If atermination event occurs (step 380), i.e., the primary devicedetermines, based on the available information, that user 100 is nolonger within the vicinity of the smart environment, process 300 ends.

If a “re-election event” occurs, process control may return to step 340.A re-election event may occur when a new computing device 200 joins thepersonal mesh, when a computing device 200 that was providing humanpresence information leaves the mesh, and/or when the capabilities of aparticipating computing device 200 change (e.g., battery is drained, orpower source is added), and/or a device which had detected humanpresence is no longer able to detect human presence.

It will be appreciated that steps 385 and 395 may provide functionalitysimilar to steps 380 and 390 to non-primary devices.

It will also be appreciated that a one-time enrollment process may benecessary prior to the execution of process 300 in a given smartenvironment.

It will be appreciated that sometimes, a device with the capacity tobroadcast may not be the best device to detect whether user 100 ispresent. Therefore, by communicating within the personal mesh,validation of human presence may be performed on one computing device200, while broadcasting the presence indicator signal may occur onanother. For example, if user 100 has both computer laptop 140 andsmartwatch 150 (as per FIG. 2), the election process would typicallypick the computer laptop 140 as the primary broadcasting device whichwould use presence information provide by smartwatch 150 to determinethat user 100 is present. If user 100 leaves the room without computerlaptop 140, computer laptop 140 and smartwatch 150 will not be able to“hear” one another and will begin a re-election. Smartwatch 150 willdetermine that it is a primary device because it is the only computingdevice 100 in the personal mesh. Given its presence information, it willthen broadcast the presence indicator signal. Computer laptop 140 willsimilarly elect itself as the primary device, but since there will be noconfidence that user 100 is there (because there is no activity on thekeyboard/mouse) it will not broadcast the presence indicator signal.

It will therefore be appreciated that using the election process forcomputing devices 200 in a personal mesh may facilitate the conservationof battery power and improve broadcast capability while providingconfidence that primary devices that broadcast presence indicatorsignals are in fact with user 100 at that time.

It will further be appreciate that in accordance with embodimentsdescribed herein, a network of wireless transmission receivers may beleveraged to more accurately detect human presence in a room (withoutthe pitfalls of motion detection, or IR), by reducing complications fromvisual obstructions and/or potential false positives. The embodimentsdescribed herein provide a method and system for letting smartenvironments know how many humans are in a space, by having one devicewith the human broadcast out a presence indicator signal. This presenceindicator signal may indicate a specific human, by using a personallyidentifiable beacon ID for that individual. The smart building may thencustomize the environment for that specific human. Alternatively, thepresence indicator signal can broadcast out a ‘generic human’ beacon(not personally identifiable) to let the smart environment know that ahuman is present, without indicating who it is. This may further beenabled and disabled based on geo-location, to address privacy concerns.

It will similarly be appreciated that the embodiments described hereinleverage the existence of one or more transmission-capable devices thatare already in the possession of, and in use by, a user to interact witha smart environment management system. The devices are provided by theuser, thereby freeing the operator of the smart environment from theneed to provide, maintain and/or control signaling hardware to trackhumans in the smart environment.

It is appreciated that various features of the invention which are, forclarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments may also beprovided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, variousfeatures of the invention which are, for brevity, described in thecontext of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in anysuitable subcombination.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited by what has been particularly shown anddescribed hereinabove. Rather the scope of the invention is defined bythe appended claims and equivalents thereof:

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A smart environment management system comprising:a multiplicity of wireless receivers deployed in a smart environment,wherein said wireless receivers are operative to receive presenceindicator signals from at least personal computing devices associatedwith users in said smart environment; and a multiplicity of buildingfacilities associated with said smart environment, wherein said smartenvironment management system is operative to adjust said buildingfacilities to optimize said smart environment in accordance withpresence of said users in said smart environment according to saidpresence indicator signals.
 22. The smart environment management systemaccording to claim 21 and further comprising: at least one robot,wherein said at least one robot is configured to transmit said robotindicator signals to be received by said multiplicity of wirelessreceivers; and said smart environment management system is furtheroperative to differentiate between said presence indicator signals androbot indicator signals when optimizing said smart environment.
 23. Thesmart environment management system according to claim 21 wherein saidbuilding facilities comprise at least one of: illumination, airconditioning, thermostat control, or physical access control.
 24. Thesmart environment management system according to claim 21 wherein saidsmart environment management system is further operative to prioritizesafely and rescue measures during emergencies based said presenceindicator signals in specific areas of said smart environment.
 25. Thesmart environment management system according to claim 21 wherein saidmultiplicity of wireless receivers use Bluetooth LE.
 26. The smartenvironment management system according to claim 21 wherein saidpersonal computing devices are managed independently of said smartenvironment management system.
 27. The smart environment managementsystem according to claim 21 wherein: at least one of said presenceindicator signals is associated with a specific user from among saidusers; and at least one of said presence indicator signals is a genericpresence indicator signal, wherein said generic presence indicatorsignal is not associated with a specific user from among said users.